Steel centering



July 21, 1936. A. K. WETZIG 2,048,582

STEEL CENTER ING' Filed. Dec. 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l 6 g /7 7 a 7 I 7 3 7 i INVENTOR July 21, 1936. A. K. WETZIG STEEL CENTERING Filed Dec.. 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV ENTOR Patented July 21, 1936 UNITED STATES STEEL CENTERING August K. Wetzig, Beaver Falls, Pa., assignor to Koppel Industrial Car and Equipment Company, Koppel, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvama Application December 5, 1935, Serial no. 53,028

3 Claims.

The invention pertains to steel centering or forms used in the erection of concrete structures and more specifically to forms used in the construction of concrete sewers and tunnels; The

' forms are mounted upon a carrier for the purpose of moving the form to successive positions in casting the sewer and the invention lies in the means connected to the forms and carrier for the purpose of manipulating the forms into collapsed or expanded position.

Steel centering of the type disclosed and claimed in the appended specification and drawings is of the general type disclosed in Patents 2,020,519 and 2,020,520 granted November .12, 1935 to L. J. Sarosdy, and differs specifically therefrom by the specific embodiment disclosed in the drawings of the present application for manipulating the steel forms about the carrier.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel and efficient means for supporting, collapsing and expanding a steel form upon a carrier, which means requiresthe services of but one man to manipulate the respective devices disposed on opposite sides of the carrier.

' ,Another object of the invention is to provide a means for supportingexpanding and collapsing a form-about a carrier which means may be readily detachable from the form and the carrier, and attached to another form for collapsing the same and moving to a new position. A further object of the invention is to provid ameans of the character described for supporting, expanding and collapsing the form about a carrier, which means may be adjustable within certain limits so as to move the form bodily laterally of the carrier and to be adjustable so as to be used with forms of varying dimensions. Referring to. the drawings forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is .a'transverse section through a concrete sewer showing the form in expanded position ready for the pouring of the concrete; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the form in collapsed position after the concrete has set Fig. 3 is a section taken on the lines 33 of Fig. 1 showing the connection between the lower arms of the form support and the carrier.

Although only a transverse section of the form has been shown, it will be understood that the forms may be constructed in any desired contour and length, depending upon the requirements of the specific structure being erected. Only conventional designs of form and carrier have been shown and described, but it will be understood that the form and carrier may be of any suitable length for the purpose in which they are to be used. Themanipulating devices" as hereinafter described are connected between each side of the carrier and form and may be of any desired'number. Obviously, in order to maintain the forms in equilibrium upon the carrier there Will be required at least two of suchdevices mounted in longitudinal spaced relation on the carrier and as many additional devices as may be necessary to support the weightof the forms.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings showing the form in position for pouring the concrete,

reference character I. indicates a .previously poured invert having rails; 2 disposed longitudinally thereof and a carrier 3'rnoun'ted on the rails by means of wheels 4 securedb'eneath the carrier. At each side of the carrier are vertically disposed carrier members 5 upon. which are mounted the form supports hereinafter described. It will be understood that the number of members 5 depends upon the number of supporting and manipulating devices used and the strength of carrierrequired. The steel centering or forms may be of any desirable contour and construction. In the drawings they are shown as comprising a skin plate- 6 suitably bracedby ribs 1 and hinged at thetop on the longitudinal center line by means of hinges 8 secured to the members 1. A diagonal brace Sis connected to each side wall and the adjacent ceiling portion of the form to further strengthen the form. V For the purpose of supportingthe form upon the carrier and manipulating the two halves of the form, a device is connected between each side of the carrier and the adjacent portion of the wall form, which device comprises a member ID pivotally connected at its'finner end to the carrier as by the member I I of the carrier by means of pin l2 and pivotally connected at. its'outer end to a member l3 of the form by means of the pin 14. It will be obvious from an inspection of the drawings that the members Illmay be directly connected to' the members 5 of the carrier or any other suitable portion of the carrier. For the purposeof adjustment the member) has incorporated therein a turnbuckle I5. The members In of Fig. 1 are shown as tension members, taking the vertical component of the weight of the form. Disposed transversely of the carrier beneath the members l0 and having its opposite end portions secured to the form members I3 is a member I6 shown by'Fig.' 2 of the drawings, the wedge brace I ingjfl an'd lateral bracing?! are flrstremoved to permit thecollapsing of the fo'rni; The operator then grasps the handle'of each jack I 1 and manipulates the handle toretract-the end portions of barrel I! and the carrier members 5. The relaneans of the pins |9. H It will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art 7 that the pins I4 and I9 may be made removable to provide for the ready'detachment of the l0 and I6 from the. form and likewisethatthe 'tion of the ratchet jack to the carrier members 5 is better shown in Fig. 3 in which the spaced'car V rier members 5 are shown engaged by the collar l8. The opposite end portions of the ratchetjack I'I arebonnected to the form members [-3 by Vpins l4 and I9 may be separated a greater ,or

7 o a a lesser distance than shown inthe drawings, cr me of the members 10 or I6 with Jend'portions in the form of a clevis and fittingtheend; of the. other member into the" clevis and securing both-"the clevis and member to the member l3 ofthejform bymeansof a single pin sucha connection is 7 sh w in'. Sa os Pate t 02 51 i f d "t upra-Li .Assumingthe form tobe in the expanded posie 'Htion' 'as'shown byFifggl' of the drawings and it is desiredtofcollapse thejorm'into the position 7 V themember [G'withinthe barreliigi ,Duringthis laps n rfShQ t mWeme t i he emb e a .7 mem er In which rot te'r w w rd f w r t e carrier simultaneously with the shortening'of the member l6 ','a;n d'the ratchet jack barrel l'l slides downwardly between the niembersj of the carfrier 'i Due to the hinging of each hal fiofg the fiorvmh meanso heohin s h 9WI t e o m. o e inwar /a the Wh le, .form moves downward a d inward a m t r n-g position as shown by Fig. 2,;thelcarrier'and form can be movedto a gnew position and by suitable ma i 'lat eneo the ra h jack HheIQIm a be expandedinto theposition shown by Fig, l of the; drawings .andthebracing 2e and 2! libe inserted :so as to position the form m5 pouring an a other sectionofthe seweror tunnel. c

, Shouldrit 'bejnecessa'ry for any' rea'son to j 1 the form bodily laterally of the carrier, this may bereadily accomplished by shortening the mainbers II) at one side of the carrier and corrrespond ingly lengthening thosemembers Ill on th'eioppo site ',side' of; the carriers In a likermainner the h e e fan ptihe \m n ccou a justed to'compensate for changes in thearmsllfi; An obvious modification of the inventionQWhich i is be e d t nec to disc e in he draw:

ings; maygbe obtained by reversing the mernbers l 0 and 16 so as to placethe'members in into com;

be; made in the details of construction without 7 departing'fromthe scope of the invention as contained in the appended claims. 7 V

I Having thus described the invention what I- c'laimas'new and desire to secure by Letters Pat-' pins I4 and I9 may be combined, by forming one meansfat. each side ofthe carrier formingqthe 'the same as-disclosed in Fig. 1 of the drawings. V

It will likewisebe obvious to those who are skilled in the art that various modifications may cut is: r e 1 1. In combination, a carrier and a collapsible oform means supporting the form'upon the carrier and comprising a plurality of members pivotally connected at each side'of the carrier and to the adjacent sidev of the form a member having 2 "individually adjustable oppositely disposed end. portions pivotally'connected to the formateach side of the carrier; an' intermediate portion'slidf ably mounted upon the carrier for vertical movement, and means incorporated in the said inter- 2 mediate portion for actuating said end portions'of the member to expand and collapse the form.

2. Ina mold apparatus in combination, a rigid carrier, :a collapsible formJneans at eachsideof the carrier forming a'sup'port for the form and 3 for expanding and collapsing the formi aboutfthe carrier each means including a member pivotally connected betweenthe carrier and the adjacent side of theform and a member common to said.

means onone sidepf thercarrier and the means i on the opposite side of 'thecarrier, said common member having its opposite ends pivotally con nected tqjthe form, its intermediate portion slidably connected to the carrier'for vertical movea merit only, and including a means for actuating the end portions of said common member to efiect the. expanding. and collapsing of the form about the'carrier. p o 3. In a 'moldapparatus in combinations, rigid carrier, 8. collapsible form, oppositely disposed I support for the form'and for expanding and collapsing the form about the carrier, each means 7 including a member pivotally connectedtov the side of the carrier and to the adjacent sideY'oI the form, and a member common to said means V on 0ne side of the carrieriand thevmeans on'the I opposite side of the carrier, said common member having its opposite endlportions connected to'the T sidej'walls of the, form; its intermediateportion slidably engaging the carrier and havinglbearings engaging the, carrier to prevent relative lateral movement between said intermediate' portion and the carrier, and'means' cooperating with said in-.'

ter nediate portion for: moving the end portions 6 of, the common-member laterally of thecarrier and intermediate portion A V a AUGUST K; 

